Reel.



w. V.l HEIM. REEL.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 7| |917.

Flai.

3 39 s4 26 7 Ha III-messes. v. Wah-ef U. Reim, Xmewor;

JR; IIN t. `,i g @il REEL ion.

` y i Specication of Letters Patent. pienldll SEINS, 3, 1913.

-` applicati@ aiiiniiy 7,1917. serial im. 179,117.

To all whom t may concern.'` v

Be it known that I, WALTER' V. HEIM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty, Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reels, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to reels of the class adapted to the use of extension or drop electric lights or for other suitable purposes, and the objects of my improvements are to provide the reel with swivel.' connections with a fixed bracket; to provide a spring to automatically turn the reel for winding the electric wire thereon; to provide a guide for directing the winding of the wire properly on the reel andalso to coperate with the wire for turning the reel on the swivel; to provide a stop which may be adjustably secured on the wire to contact with the guide `for regulating the length of the drop light portion of the wire; to provide means for automatically locking the reel against thev exertion of the actuating spring with the light at different distance relations there from; to provide swiveled lterminals for electric circuit at the swivel and also at the ends of the reel; to provide protective Ameans for inclosing the swivel terminalsV with insulating material to conform to the.

requirements of the underwriters ofire insurance,`and to provide simple, compact and durable construction and assemblage of the various coacting members for obtaining facility of operation and efficiency of action.

These objects may be attained in the following described manner, as illustrated inl the accompanying drawings, in which: f

Figure 1 is an end elevation with parts broken away of a reel embodying'my improvements, and Fig. 2 a front elevation with parts broken away and parts in vertical diametrical section.

In the drawings 1 represents abracket adapted to b e secured at a fixed point, 2 a

journal of insulating material depending therefrom and formed with an annular shoulder 3 having a depending flange 4..

Wires 5 and 6 of an electric circuitare extended tlirough the journal 2 andare connected to the respective terminal metal rings 7 and 8. Corresponding wires 9 and` 11 are secured to the similar terminal metal rings 12 and 13. The ring 14 ofv insulating material is interposed between the `metal' rings 8 and `12. The circular cap 15 of insulating material telescopes at its edge within the flange 4'and serves to completely iiiclose and protect theaforesaid insulating and terminal rings. A coiled spring 16 may be inserted within the said cap and the axial bolt`17 serves to move and maintain the cap with the spring under the proper exertion for maintaining both metal terminal rings within the cap in contact under a yielding pressure as desired.

The yoke preferably consists of two similar members 18 of stamped sheet metal con nected together by rivets 19 to form theyl circular bearing 21 for the journal 2 and is movably supported thereon by means ofv v The hollow drum or spool 26 is mounted to turn on the axle 24 between the legs of)v the yoke and .the coil spring 27 therein is arranged to automatically turn it in the proper direction to wind the wires 28 thereon. The gravity latch 29 pivotally connected to the bar 31 which is secured on one leg of the yoke is formed with an inclined lnotch 32 adapted to automatically engage with the catchvorppin 33 which projects in the vpath thereof from'the adjacent end of the drum. The inclined notch 32 is so constructed and arranged that it will only engage with the Vpin. 33 when the drum turns slowly but escapes the pin when it turns rapidly. The `operator may control the winding speed of the drum by means of the free end 29 of the wires.

Cup-shaped washers 34 and 35 formed of insulating material-such as fiberencircle each end portion of axle 24 and contact respectively with the ends of the drum and the corresponding feet'oftlie yoke, and insulating sleeves 36 encircle the portions of the axle between the washers. Metal rings or flat washers 37 and 38 inclosed within said cups serve as frictional terminals for the wires 11 and 39 and also the wires 9 and Coiled springs 4,2y inclosed within the cup-shaped washers .adjacent to the ends of the drum are adjustable by means of thethe drum to its periphery and then twisted together for any desired length and pro vided attheir ends with the lamp 43.

The guide 44 for directing the Wires toward the periphery of the drum is secured to the legs of the yoke and the stop 45 adjustably secured on the end portion 29 of the Wires by contact with the guide serves to control the length of the unwound or drop portion thereo In operation, the sWiveled terminals for the yoke permits it to be turned on the depending journal, and the swiveled terminalsv on the aXle permits the drum to be turned thereon Without breaking the electric circuit to the lamp. The caps of insulating material serve to inclose and protect the terminals to conformto the requirements of re underwriters. t

Having fully described my improvements, what I claim as my invention and desire -to secure by Letters Patentof the United States is:

An extension light reel comprising a swiveled yoke provided with a gravity latch, a hollow drum journaled therein and providedwith a catch adapted to engage with thev latch2 an actuating spring Within the drum, Wires provided with a lamp and Wound on the drum by thevexertion of the spring, said Wires with the lamp bein in r circuit with an electric current and provlded with frictional terminals concentric With the axes of the oke and the drum, and caps formed of insu ating material, for inclosing vand protecting said terminals from being tampered With from the outside.

WALTER V. HEIM.

Witnesses: E. A. ROGERS,

R. S. CARR. 

